Parliament can make Britain a clean energy superpower – it must embrace the challenge
Labour's plans to turn the UK into a "clean energy superpower" were set out in the King's Speech in July (Alamy)
3 min read
Lifting the ban on onshore wind, approving new solar farms and ending support for the Cumbrian coal mine: all down payments to put Britain on the path to becoming a clean energy superpower.
Britain now has a government that is committed to cutting energy bills, tackling the climate crisis, freeing us from fossil fuel dictators and providing the support needed for workers to transition to a clean energy future.
The government's goal of making Britain a clean energy superpower makes economic and environmental sense at a time of intense political instability across the globe. But we also know that it makes political sense too. An overwhelming majority of the public who have been squeezed by soaring household bills, also want Britain to end its dependence on expensive, volatile fossil fuels. Polling by More in Common shows that in almost every constituency there is support for faster action to roll out green policies.
In my own constituency, young people know where the future lies. The Basingstoke College of Technology is already playing a role in training the workers needed to meet our energy and climate goals. The government’s plans must include a massive expansion in training and re-skilling for the good, well-paid jobs required to deliver.
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change, I will work with parliamentarians of all political persuasions to support the government in achieving its mission and ensuring it is done fairly. Fairness will be paramount for workers and consumers. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past and nobody can be left behind in the UK’s shift towards clean energy.
For example, by setting out a detailed and properly funded long-term just transition plan, communities and workers in the North Sea’s declining oil and gas industry will have a fair share in the economic benefits. This is the right and responsible path to take, rather than issuing ever more new oil and gas licenses that have done nothing to deliver energy security, kept us hooked on toxic fossil fuels and deterred much needed investment into renewables and green technologies.
The UK should be proud of its cross-party consensus on climate action. It is not something every Western country enjoys. Our shared mission allowed us to become the first country in the world to legislate a Climate Change Act, and the first major economy to enshrine its 2050 net zero target into law.
But the past few years have shown we cannot take it for granted. Some even argue that the consensus has permanently fractured. The job of the cross-party Climate APPG is to show that not only has it not been fractured but that it can be strengthened. Helped by the fact that our new government was elected with a huge majority to deliver policies that will invigorate the economy, tackle the climate crisis, deliver energy security and lower bills. The Climate APPG will do everything it can to make these ambitions a reality.
Internationally, we will also support the government to reclaim the mantle of global climate leadership. The UK must set an example for all countries to take bolder action on climate and collaborate with them in their efforts utilising important moments like COP29 in Azerbaijan and the 2025 London Energy Security Summit to build ambition and accelerate delivery.
The UK now has a fresh opportunity to build a fairer, greener world at home and abroad. Together, the Climate APPG will help this become a reality.
Luke Murphy is Labour MP for Basingstoke, Chair of the Climate APPG, and former head of the IPPR Environmental Justice Commission.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.
